New London pad5 November 2011 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to make the former home of Princess Margaret their permanent London residence, St James's Palace said today. William and Kate have chosen an apartment in Kensington Palace as the place that will become their base in the capital as they establish themselves as a married couple.

“The extent of the work needed to turn the apartment back into a home is not yet known, but it is expected that the apartment will not be ready for occupation until at least the middle of 2013,” a spokesman for St James’s Palace said.

The plans, approved by the Queen and the Prince of Wales, signal the growing independence of William and his wife as their household will also follow them from their offices at St James’s Palace to the historic building which has been a royal residence since 1689..

It was interesting that they brought up Prince Harry in the article and how he will move to KP as well one day in the Nottingham cottage. Maybe when he gets married or even before then he will be the one to move into his mother's old apartments there. After all if the Queen can get back 1A then surely Charles can give up his office space.

The part about Harry moving into Nottingham Cottage made me raise an eyebrow. There didn't seem to be a reason for him to move out of Clarence House just yet... unless it's just that it's much easier to entertain single ladies when your dad and stepmother aren't sharing the same roof!

I think that they were a little short-sighted when they turned KP into offices and storerooms. I think the dynamics of the BRF and the economy dictated prudence when Princess Margaret's apartment became vacant, but time has passed and now they have a real, practical reason to re-open it.

I don't think anyone thought about the notion of three adult generations in need of discrete and safe housing in this day and age. Although, to be honest, as HM the Queen Mother grew steadily older surely they could see that the writing was on the wall. Prince Charles largely solved the problem by making Highgrove his primary residence but as his sons grew older and the Queen Mother stayed healthy and the Queen remained a healthy, active and working member of the BRF, I suspect that some very long term planning was undertaken.

I think few will complain about the cost of the refurbishment of the Apartment which, since it hasn't had any major work since the 1960's, will need a lot of time and money just to bring it up to safety codes let alone restore it's historic splendour. That being said, it would not surprise me to hear that the same financial dynamic used to refurbish Clarence House was used again for Apartment 1, Kensington Palace.

__________________MARG"Words ought to be a little wild, for they are assaults of thoughts on the unthinking." - JM Keynes

The part about Harry moving into Nottingham Cottage made me raise an eyebrow. There didn't seem to be a reason for him to move out of Clarence House just yet... unless it's just that it's much easier to entertain single ladies when your dad and stepmother aren't sharing the same roof!

He's an adult with a career who doesn't seem to have any plans to be married anytime in the near future. Why should he still be sharing a home with his father and stepmother when he's 27 years old? It makes complete sense.

Also, Nott Cott is only two bedrooms- it should work quite well for him as a bachelor pad apartment.

He's an adult with a career who doesn't seem to have any plans to be married anytime in the near future. Why should he still be sharing a home with his father and stepmother when he's 27 years old? It makes complete sense.

Also, Nott Cott is only two bedrooms- it should work quite well for him as a bachelor pad apartment.

And it will enable him to be near the offices of the staff he and the Cambridges share. It makes perfect sense for Harry to move into Nott Cott while the Cambridges take up residence in Margaret's old apartment.

I hope that it doesn't, but I'm afraid that the cost of the renovations will go down very poorly with public opinion. Unless they personally make a substantial contribution to the cost of the work, I fear that this could become a real PR disaster for the Royal Family.

I hope that it doesn't, but I'm afraid that the cost of the renovations will go down very poorly with public opinion. Unless they personally make a substantial contribution to the cost of the work, I fear that this could become a real PR disaster for the Royal Family.

I agree, but if they do make a substantial contribution I don't think the public would make a big fuss.

__________________"I think the biggest disease the world suffers from in this day and age is the disease of people feeling unloved."
Diana, the Princess of Wales

The BRF are well aware of the "look" and the cost and have probably been working on it for a while.

Quote:

The structural work will be ­funded by Grant-in-Aid budgets provided to the royal household for royal ­residences. But the cost of interior ­decorating and furnishing will be paid privately by the Royal Family.

I believe most thinking people will be cognisant of the waste of letting Kensington Palace, or parts thereof, fall into total disrepair or be used for storage. It is part of the history of the country and as the article in the Mail remarks, the current office tenant are aware of the benefits of having the royal couple move there.

Quote:

Historic Royal Palaces also realise that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge residing in Kensington Palace will make it a more attractive tourist destination. Ultimately it was the Queen's decision and she approved it. Apartment 1A was opened to the public in 2004, for the first time in the palace's 300-year history.

An exhibition has been planned for the apartment next year, which will still go ahead – but once it is over, in September, the home will be handed over to the Royal couple. The offices of Historic Royal Palaces will be relocated to new accommodation at Kensington Palace.

It is possible that the Queen may allow the renovated and redecorated apartment to be open to the public to see where the money went before William and Kate furnish it and move in, as was the case, I think, in both Denmark and Sweden.

__________________MARG"Words ought to be a little wild, for they are assaults of thoughts on the unthinking." - JM Keynes

Why on earth would William want to move into a new home with a statue of his mother outside. Much as Princess Margaret may have viewed the idea with distaste, I think it even worse outside William's home conjuring, as it does, images of memorials and homage to an idol.

However, let's get some perspective here. He is being challenged by the Mail, (the Mail, I ask you?) to fulfil a dream (his?) to replace the statue of his namesake, William III, with a statue of his mother, 14 years after the fact.

The dreams of a 15 year old boy and those of a 29 year old man may differ significantly. However, even if he was so disposed, I believe he would need the Queen's permission and somehow I don't think it would be forthcoming.

__________________MARG"Words ought to be a little wild, for they are assaults of thoughts on the unthinking." - JM Keynes

Why on earth would William want to move into a new home with a statue of his mother outside. Much as Princess Margaret may have viewed the idea with distaste, I think it even worse outside William's home conjuring, as it does, images of memorials and homage to an idol.

However, let's get some perspective here. He is being challenged by the Mail, (the Mail, I ask you?) to fulfil a dream (his?) to replace the statue of his namesake, William III, with a statue of his mother, 14 years after the fact.

The dreams of a 15 year old boy and a 29 year old man may differ significantly. However, even if he was so disposed, I believe he would need the Queen's permission and somehow I don't think it would be forthcoming.

Thank you for talking sense, only The Mail would bring up this pearl of an idea

Margaret was right, and I'm sure that Kate would also not ‘want her staring at me every time I look out of the window.’ Poor girl, she already has to live with the ghost of her late mother-in-law in print she certainly doesn't need it in her garden!

It was interesting that they brought up Prince Harry in the article and how he will move to KP as well one day in the Nottingham cottage. Maybe when he gets married or even before then he will be the one to move into his mother's old apartments there. After all if the Queen can get back 1A then surely Charles can give up his office space.

I would think Harry will simply follow William, and move into Margaret's place once William removes to Clarence House.

I would think Harry will simply follow William, and move into Margaret's place once William removes to Clarence House.

I suspect that quite a lof of thought has been given to future domestic arrangements for the Wales boys, and I think that Margaret's apartment can be the future home for Harry and his wife once Charles is King and W&K move to CH. Of course, should Harry marry and start to gave children within the current reign, his family would need to be accomodated elsewhere, possibly St James', or at another apartment at KP as Nott Cott is unlikely to be large enough.